Microsoft Store Developer CLI (msstore)

The Microsoft Store Developer CLI (msstore) is a cross-platform command-line interface for publishing and managing applications in the Microsoft Store. It integrates with Partner Center APIs and supports automated publishing workflows for various application types.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Configure Store credentials for API access
• List applications in your Store account
• Check the status of a submission
• Publish submissions to the Store
• Package applications for Store submission
• Initialize projects for Store publishing
• Manage package flights (beta testing)
• Set up CI/CD pipelines for automated Store publishing
• Manage gradual rollouts of submissions
• Update submission metadata programmatically

Prerequisites

• Windows 10+, macOS, or Linux
• .NET 9 Desktop Runtime (Windows) or .NET 9 Runtime (macOS/Linux)
• Partner Center account with appropriate permissions
• Azure AD app registration with Partner Center API access
• msstore CLI installed via one of these methods:
  • Microsoft Store: Download
  • WinGet: winget install "Microsoft Store Developer CLI"
  • Manual: Download from GitHub Releases

Partner Center Setup

Before using msstore, you need to create an Azure AD application with Partner Center access:

1. Go to Partner Center
2. Navigate to Account settings > User management > Azure AD applications
3. Create a new application and note the Tenant ID, Client ID, and Client Secret
4. Grant the application appropriate permissions (Manager or Developer role)

Core Commands Reference

info - Print Configuration

Display the current credential configuration.

msstore info

Options:

reconfigure - Configure Credentials

Configure or update Microsoft Store API credentials.

msstore reconfigure [options]

Options:

Examples:

# Configure with client secret
msstore reconfigure --tenantId $TENANT_ID --sellerId $SELLER_ID --clientId $CLIENT_ID --clientSecret $CLIENT_SECRET

# Configure with certificate
msstore reconfigure --tenantId $TENANT_ID --sellerId $SELLER_ID --clientId $CLIENT_ID --certificateFilePath ./cert.pfx --certificatePassword MyPassword

settings - CLI Settings

Change settings of the Microsoft Store Developer CLI.

msstore settings [options]

Options:

Set Publisher Display Name

msstore settings setpdn <publisherDisplayName>

Sets the default Publisher Display Name for the init command.

apps - Application Management

List and retrieve application information.

List Applications

msstore apps list

Lists all applications in your Partner Center account.

Get Application Details

msstore apps get <productId>

Arguments:

Example:

# Get details of a specific app
msstore apps get 9NBLGGH4R315

submission - Submission Management

Manage Store submissions.

Get Submission Status

msstore submission status <productId>

Get Submission Details

msstore submission get <productId>

Update Metadata

msstore submission updateMetadata <productId> <metadata>

Where <metadata> is a JSON string with the updated metadata. Because JSON contains characters that shells interpret (quotes, braces, etc.), you must quote and/or escape the value appropriately:

• Bash/Zsh: Wrap the JSON in single quotes so the shell passes it through literally.

  msstore submission updateMetadata 9NBLGGH4R315 '{"description":"My updated app"}'
  

• PowerShell: Use single quotes (or escape double quotes inside a double-quoted string).

  msstore submission updateMetadata 9NBLGGH4R315 '{"description":"My updated app"}'
  

• cmd.exe: Escape each inner double quote with a backslash.

  msstore submission updateMetadata 9NBLGGH4R315 "{\"description\":\"My updated app\"}"
  

Tip: For complex or multi-line metadata, save the JSON to a file and pass its contents instead to avoid quoting issues:

msstore submission updateMetadata 9NBLGGH4R315 "$(cat metadata.json)"

Options:

Publish Submission

msstore submission publish <productId>

Poll Submission

msstore submission poll <productId>

Polls until the submission status is PUBLISHED or FAILED.

Delete Submission

msstore submission delete <productId>

Options:

init - Initialize Project for Store

Initialize a project for Microsoft Store publishing. Automatically detects project type and configures Store identity.

msstore init <pathOrUrl> [options]

Arguments:

Options:

Supported Project Types:

• Windows App SDK / WinUI 3
• UWP
• .NET MAUI
• Flutter
• Electron
• React Native for Desktop
• PWA (Progressive Web Apps)

Examples:

# Initialize WinUI project
msstore init ./my-winui-app

# Initialize PWA
msstore init https://contoso.com --output ./pwa-package

# Initialize and publish
msstore init ./my-app --publish

package - Package for Store

Package an application for Microsoft Store submission.

msstore package <pathOrUrl> [options]

Arguments:

Options:

Examples:

# Package for default architecture
msstore package ./my-app

# Package for multiple architectures
msstore package ./my-app --arch x64,arm64 --output ./packages

# Package with specific version
msstore package ./my-app --version 1.2.3.0

publish - Publish to Store

Publish an application to the Microsoft Store.

msstore publish <pathOrUrl> [options]

Arguments:

Options:

Examples:

# Publish project
msstore publish ./my-app

# Publish existing package
msstore publish ./my-app --inputFile ./packages/MyApp.msixupload

# Publish as draft
msstore publish ./my-app --noCommit

# Publish with gradual rollout
msstore publish ./my-app --packageRolloutPercentage 10

flights - Package Flight Management

Manage package flights (beta testing groups).

List Flights

msstore flights list <productId>

Get Flight Details

msstore flights get <productId> <flightId>

Create Flight

msstore flights create <productId> <friendlyName> --group-ids <group-ids>

Options:

Delete Flight

msstore flights delete <productId> <flightId>

Flight Submissions

# Get flight submission
msstore flights submission get <productId> <flightId>

# Publish flight submission
msstore flights submission publish <productId> <flightId>

# Check flight submission status
msstore flights submission status <productId> <flightId>

# Poll flight submission
msstore flights submission poll <productId> <flightId>

# Delete flight submission
msstore flights submission delete <productId> <flightId>

Flight Rollout Management

# Get rollout status
msstore flights submission rollout get <productId> <flightId>

# Update rollout percentage
msstore flights submission rollout update <productId> <flightId> <percentage>

# Halt rollout
msstore flights submission rollout halt <productId> <flightId>

# Finalize rollout (100%)
msstore flights submission rollout finalize <productId> <flightId>

Common Workflows

Workflow 1: First-Time Store Setup

# 1. Install the CLI
winget install "Microsoft Store Developer CLI"

# 2. Configure credentials (get these from Partner Center)
msstore reconfigure --tenantId $TENANT_ID --sellerId $SELLER_ID --clientId $CLIENT_ID --clientSecret $CLIENT_SECRET

# 3. Verify configuration
msstore info

# 4. List your apps to confirm access
msstore apps list

Workflow 2: Initialize and Publish New App

# 1. Navigate to project
cd my-winui-app

# 2. Initialize for Store (creates/updates app identity)
msstore init .

# 3. Package the application
msstore package . --arch x64,arm64

# 4. Publish to Store
msstore publish .

# 5. Check submission status
msstore submission status <productId>

Workflow 3: Update Existing App

# 1. Build your updated application
dotnet publish -c Release

# 2. Package and publish
msstore publish ./my-app

# Or publish from existing package
msstore publish ./my-app --inputFile ./artifacts/MyApp.msixupload

Workflow 4: Gradual Rollout

# 1. Publish with initial rollout percentage
msstore publish ./my-app --packageRolloutPercentage 10

# 2. Monitor and increase rollout
msstore submission poll <productId>

# 3. (After validation) Finalize to 100%
# This completes via Partner Center or submission update

Workflow 5: Beta Testing with Flights

# 1. Create a flight group in Partner Center first
# Then create a flight
msstore flights create <productId> "Beta Testers" --group-ids "group-id-1,group-id-2"

# 2. Publish to the flight
msstore publish ./my-app --flightId <flightId>

# 3. Check flight submission status
msstore flights submission status <productId> <flightId>

# 4. After testing, publish to production
msstore publish ./my-app

Workflow 6: CI/CD Pipeline Integration

# GitHub Actions example
name: Publish to Store

on:
  release:
    types: [published]

jobs:
  publish:
    runs-on: windows-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      
      - name: Setup .NET
        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
        with:
          dotnet-version: '9.0.x'
      
      - name: Install msstore CLI
        run: winget install "Microsoft Store Developer CLI" --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
      
      - name: Configure Store credentials
        run: |
          msstore reconfigure --tenantId ${{ secrets.TENANT_ID }} --sellerId ${{ secrets.SELLER_ID }} --clientId ${{ secrets.CLIENT_ID }} --clientSecret ${{ secrets.CLIENT_SECRET }}
      
      - name: Build application
        run: dotnet publish -c Release
      
      - name: Publish to Store
        run: msstore publish ./src/MyApp

Integration with winapp CLI

The winapp CLI (v0.2.0+) integrates with msstore via the winapp store subcommand:

# These commands are equivalent:
msstore reconfigure --tenantId xxx --clientId xxx --clientSecret xxx
winapp store reconfigure --tenantId xxx --clientId xxx --clientSecret xxx

# List apps
msstore apps list
winapp store apps list

# Publish
msstore publish ./my-app
winapp store publish ./my-app

Use winapp store when you want a unified CLI experience for both packaging and publishing.

Troubleshooting

Environment Variables

The CLI supports environment variables for credentials:

References

• Microsoft Store Developer CLI Documentation
• CLI Commands Reference
• GitHub Repository
• Partner Center API
• App Submission API
• Package Flights Overview
• Gradual Package Rollout